Criteria for admission to the Mary Inez Grindle School of Nursing
Our nursing faculty inspires students to bring compassion and commitment to their studies. See the admissions requirements below for our ABSN or ELMSN programs to find the pathway to nursing that’s right for you.
ABSN requirements
- Associate degree or equivalent or a bachelor’s degree in another field of study from a regionally accredited college or university.
- Recommended cumulative GPA of 3.0
- A minimum science GPA of 3.0 is also recommended. The science GPA is based on the cumulative grades earned in the last 15 years in the courses listed below. Grades earned in these courses more than 15 years ago will require the courses to be retaken or reviewed for acceptance.
- Sciences:
- BY209 Anatomy and Physiology I
- BY210 Anatomy and Physiology II
- CY103 Principles of Chemistry
- BY206 Microbiology
- Non-Sciences:
- PY 101 Introduction to Psychology
- MS 205 Introduction to Statistics
- PY 202 Human Growth and Development
- MS 101/111/or 210 College Algebra
- Sciences:
- A minimum science GPA of 3.0 is also recommended. The science GPA is based on the cumulative grades earned in the last 15 years in the courses listed below. Grades earned in these courses more than 15 years ago will require the courses to be retaken or reviewed for acceptance.
Students missing prerequisites and/or with fewer than 60 transferable credits must complete additional coursework prior to beginning the ABSN. Contact a Brenau representative for more details.
Accelerated Transfer BSN requirements
- If you have completed 60 transferable credits or more, you may meet the minimum education requirement to enroll in the Accelerated Transfer BSN program.
- Recommended cumulative GPA 3.0 or greater (based on all college coursework). Graduate coursework GPA will be considered if the student has earned a graduate degree.
- Recommended science GPA 3.0 or greater (based on cumulative grades over the last 10-years in the following courses. If the course or its equivalent was not taken within the last 10 years, the most recent grade [up to 15-years old] will be considered):
- Anatomy and Physiology, I with Lab (BY209/BY209L) or equivalent
- Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab (BY210/BY210L) or equivalent
- Principles of Chemistry with Lab (CY103/CY103L) or equivalent
- Microbiology with Lab (BY206/BY206L) or equivalent
- One of the following:
- Associate’s degree from a regionally accredited school (or foreign equivalent). Degrees from schools outside of the U.S. must be evaluated by a NACES accredited transcript review agency .
- Completion of liberal education coursework as outlined in the Brenau Undergraduate Catalog.
- All prerequisite coursework completed prior to starting the program
- Admission Exam (HESI) Minimum score of 75%. The HESI A2 Admission Exam:
- Must be taken at the Norcross campus. Exams taken at other schools are not accepted.
- Scores are good for one calendar year.
- May be taken twice in a calendar year with a 30-day waiting period between exams.
- Attributes and experiences that indicate initiative, commitment, caring, and a strong interest in improving health for patients, families, and communities.
- Satisfactory background check and drug screen.
ELMSN requirements
- Non-nursing bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 based on the last 60 credit hours of college coursework, including graduate coursework, attempted and accepted.
- A minimum science GPA of 3.0 is also required. The science GPA is based on the most recent grade earned in the last 15 years in the courses listed below. Grades earned in these courses more than 15 years ago will require the courses to be retaken or reviewed for acceptance.
- Sciences:
- BY209 Anatomy and Physiology I
- BY210 Anatomy and Physiology II
- CY103 Principles of Chemistry
- BY206 Microbiology
- Non-Sciences:
- PY 202 Human Growth and Development
- MS 205 Introduction to Statistics
- Sciences:
- A minimum science GPA of 3.0 is also required. The science GPA is based on the most recent grade earned in the last 15 years in the courses listed below. Grades earned in these courses more than 15 years ago will require the courses to be retaken or reviewed for acceptance.
Additional requirements (all applicants)
Satisfactory completion of courses: You must have already completed all mandatory prerequisite courses with no more than six hours of incomplete liberal education courses. ABSN applicants with fewer than 60 transferable credits will need to complete additional coursework to bring their total earned credits up to 60 before they can begin ABSN courses.
HESI Nursing Admissions Test: You must achieve a minimum score of 75% to be eligible for the ABSN or ELMSN.
Background check and drug screening: You have one opportunity to provide acceptable background and drug screen results. Only a negative drug screen result is acceptable.
A background check revealing a felony charge is not acceptable. In the event of a misdemeanor charge(s), the applicant must contact the Georgia Board of Nursing for information regarding licensure exam qualifications.
For admission and possible transfer of credit, Brenau University recognizes coursework and degrees earned at institutions accredited by organizations listed by the US Department of Education within its Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP; https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/agency-list). The institution must also be eligible for Title IV funds.
To be considered, coursework and degrees must have been completed during a period in which the granting institution held recognized accreditation as described above.
Start on the path to a nursing career with us.